Duck Watching Along Mighty Lake Michigan

It was time to do a bit of bird watching; winter cold, or no winter cold.  Fellow birder Robert Massey had a free Saturday morning too (Barbara was working) so the two of us jumped in the "IBIRD" SPT (silver pick-up truck) at around 8:00 AM and headed to Milwaukee's east side.  At Robert's home along the Menominee River Parkway; a woman has fed the Mallards for years.  Because of timing, I was able to witness their early morning waddle-march from the north to the south across the road.

They would bunch-up at the edge and then flow across in a straight line to her driveway; heading for the backyard to where the feed was supposedly located.  How many days, weeks, years these ducks and their offspring had been doing this is unknown to me.  Whether there was even any food for them when they got there was also a mystery; but some "pull" was making them attempt that practiced journey day after day, week after week, year after year.

The weather was cooperating with a mild 23 degrees and virtually no wind as we stepped out of the truck at the Linwood water treatment plant for our first of six looks. Canada geese were already present on the grass along the banks of the Lake Michigan shoreline.  The snow was mostly gone due to the recent mild weather that had included actual rain.  This meant that they could easily crop at the grass to fill their bellies with what they needed to sustain themselves.

Dozens of their cousins, sisters, brothers, etc. also swam in the frigid water of the great lake just off

shore.  Along with these common residents and visitors to Lake Michigan were some species that only seen to over-winter here; Buffleheads, Common goldeneye, Lesser and Greater scaups and Red-breasted and Common merganser.  As we would discover in the several stops we would make; the Buffleheads seemed to prefer the northernmost shoreline and could not be seen as we ventured southward.

From Audubon.org, "A diminutive diver, one of our smallest ducks, often very energetic in its feeding. Related to the goldeneyes and, like them, nests in cavities; but unlike other hole-nesting ducks, the Bufflehead is small enough to use unmodified old nest holes of Northern Flickers, giving it a ready source of good nest sites. Less sociable than most ducks, seen in pairs or small groups, almost never in large flocks. Takes wing easily from the water, flies with rapid wing beats. The name "Bufflehead" is derived from "buffalo-head," for the male's odd puffy head shape."

One of our most memorable (audible) moments was when we walked across the frozen goose-poop

littered grass from the parking lot at McKinley marina to the water's edge.  As we neared the sidewalk that runs along the lakeshore boundary, we unwittingly scared dozens of goldeneye that were (previously unseen) huddled against the rocks and the 12 foot drop from above to below.  They all suddenly skedaddled eastward just above the water's surface making a gloriously loud whining noise with their rapid wing beats to escape the interlopers to their quiet morning paddling.

Joggers and people with their dogs were out in force as we stood at each place with our scope and binoculars.  One of the most interesting discoveries to me was to see the many ice-fishing enthusiasts that were enjoying their Saturday on the frozen water of the Lakeshore State Park lagoon.  This proximity between angler and the buildings of downtown Milwaukee was both surreal and fascinating to me. Who would have thought that these two vastly different scenarios could co-exist; bustling urban life and serene outdoor sportfishing?

In all we stopped along Linwood,  Lakeshore drive at Bradford Beach, McKinley Marina, Lakeshore State Park, the area under the Hoan bridge carved out for the Milwaukee smelting community and the old Coast Guard impound lot and the famous, ever-present but badly deteriorated blue trailer.  Our final stop for the morning was to view the hundreds of the same species we had been seeing that had congregated at the breakwall just south of the Lake Express Ferry.  All in all we saw hundreds and hundreds of birds in just a few hours time that seemingly thrive in the ice-cold waters of our great lake.  C'mon out and play on a winter's morning...plenty of others are and having a great time!

Robert Massey with the spotting scope

Bufflehead

Lone Black duck on the ice

Goldeneye walking on water?

Our Species List:

1. Red-breasted merganser
2. Common merganser
3. Mallard
4. Greater Scaup
5. Lesser Scaup
6. American Crow
7. Herring gull
8. Black-backed gull
9. Ring-billed gull
10. Black duck
11. Bufflehead
12. Common goldeneye

Birde'mon Go

It was only a matter of time.

The weighty question on so many of our (Baby boomer) minds has been, “what was it truly going to take to get kids to play outside again?’ 

Migratory Black and White Warbler

Children born to those of us currently in our middle 50s grew up battling the temptation to sit like lumps in front of a screen instead of exploring their world outdoors.  Technology came on like gangbusters in the mid 1990s with generation after generation of improvements geared towards making the gaming experience more robust and in turn; all-consuming.  Friendships needed to evolve from cooperative play to parallel play and then to remote-cooperative in parallel play.  Screens became bigger and bigger, and then smaller and smaller.  Graphics starting at an amazing 8-bit have now evolved into high definition and beyond.  All these “improvements” seemed to have sequestered a great segment of young-humanity to their basements with the shades pulled, doors locked, and ovens loaded with high-carb pizza rolls.  Kid’s muscles began to slowly atrophy while their tummies quickly expanded.  Combine this addictive “leisure” activity with the common, every day, and every time method of communication known as texting; and there remained virtually no reason to ever leave the home.

Meanwhile on the other side of the spectrum are traditional activities that have involved being outdoors, using the large muscle groups, and dealing with the elements.  For decades; team and individual sports played merely for enjoyment or competitively have occupied the masses, from backyard games of Red Rover to Little league baseball.  In terms of hobbies that involve getting out of the house; hunting, fishing, hiking and biking have always offered great diversion.  City, county and municipal parks have offered those individuals the chance to get away from it all in a serene setting; while enjoying all that nature had to offer.  As an avid watcher of birds; I relish the opportunity to walk amongst the beauty of the outdoors while seeking my next interesting avian sighting.

 

It was on this particular Sunday in September while in Lake Park on Milwaukee’s lakefront for a morning bird-hike when it hit me.  There were young parents pushing strollers, groups of teens, pairs of bros, young couples, old people, fat people, and geeky people methodically roaming over the landscape in search of something only they could see on their electronic devices.  But; they were OUTside doing it in a communal sense. As I looked around me at the ever-growing masses of fair-weather humans; all slow-walking, staring down at their cell phones and iPads: I realized in that moment that I’ve been “tryin’ to catch ‘em all” long before Pokémon Go ever became a thing!  

Suddenly it was clear.  Anyone who had ever wondered about what I might be up to all decked out in drab clothing, brimmed hat, binoculars strapped on, and carrying a book was now putting themselves out there to pursue something that brought them their own kind of joy.

I guess the only question I have for any of my fellow birding enthusiasts, as well as the bicyclists, hikers, joggers, and runners, that enjoy Lake Park or any other outdoor venue is; "are you OK with sharing your space with this new breed of hobbyists?"  I personally answer; emphatically "YES!"  I say, let them capture their elusive Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Megapod and Charizard in their own world of fantasy and wonder as I continue to seek additions to my own life-list of oddly-named avian species.

It's no weirder, no less consuming and no less enjoyable...it's just different.  And hey...I finally captured (uh, sighted) my first Yellow-billed cuckoo today! Hell yes! Oh...I know...how about Pikachu VS Black-capped chickadee on a Poke'-Birde' Battle? Birde'mon-TAStic!

The elusive Yellow-Billed Cuckoo - CAPTURED!

Today's list of sightings:

1. Bluejay
2. Red-bellied woodpecker
3. Bay-breasted warbler
4. Black and white warbler
5. Dark-eyed junco
6. Yellow-rumped warbler
7. Ovenbird
8. Red-breasted nuthatch
9. Gray-cheeked thrush
10. Black-capped chickadee
11. Canada Goose
12. Double-crested cormorant
13. Chipping sparrow
14. House sparrow
15. Downy Woodpecker

Zoo-zee, zoo-zoo-zee!

With its black bib contrasted against a predominantly (and vibrantly) yellow colored head and face; the Black-throated Green warbler (BTGW) is an eye-catching bird indeed.  

To be clear; only the top portion of its yellow head is actually remotely "green" in a kind of dull olive shade.  It's unique spring song of,  "zoo-zee, zoo-zoo-zee!" is also one that even the novice birder can easily recognize, after hearing it only a few times.  This colorful wood warbler breeds in northeastern coniferous forests and covers a great section of the United States beginning this time each migration. The male actually has two songs it sings: "zee-zee-zee-zoo-zee" and "zoo-zee-zoo-zoo-zee." The individual notes are rather fuzzy, however the last note of both songs ends higher.

Today (May 3, 2014) although still somewhat windy, was apparently the day to find them at Lake Park as at least 15 were tallied by the Lake Park Birders by the end of their spring Warbler Walk.  While I didn't tag along as I often do on these Saturdays; I did enjoy seeing my own BTGWs during my solo walk around the expansive Olmstead-designed park, with an accompanying small (par-3) golf course.  A healthy hatch of fresh insects had spread itself throughout the woodlands, and the many spring avian migrants were taking full advantage of the flying bumper-crop.  My first reaction to stepping from the WPT (White Pick-up Truck for you newbies to this blog)  and seeing all the birds flitting around the leafless vegetation was, "Wow...Warbler Mania!"

Brown-headed cowbird
mad-dogging another male

At every turn of my head there was another FOY (First of year) bird!  Of course I'd rather expected that kind of experience having been at Lake Park at this time of year before, however as any true dyed in the wool birder will enthusiastically tell you, "It's like the first time, each time."  The wind was huffing up from the south and pushing along with it a welcome 50 degree temperature.  One man holding a pair of binoculars I briefly talked to, said he'd "predicted this kind of fall out today."  While I'm no meteorologist and don't play one on TV; I had no quarrel with his logic as the proof was clearly in this natural pudding, at Lake Park.

Lake Park trail renovations

Apparently Milwaukee County had come across some funding for Lake Park trail improvements as the beejeebers was torn out of a great majority of them; large stones, missing asphalt, tilled ground and yellow caution tape were ever present on the southernmost end of the foot bridge.  Joggers and walkers zigzagged as best they could to avoid the debris and construction.  Birders took to the ravine below and the grass areas above to circumnavigate the path and extensive road work.  Thankfully, none of this manmade inconvenience seemed to bother the birds; they were plentiful and varied in species.

Hermit thrush

Chubby solitary Field sparrow

Yellow-rumped warbler

BTGW - Front view of black "bib"

Here is my amazing list, from Lake Park:

1. American robin
2. Black-throated Green warbler
3. Ovenbird
4. Brown creeper
5. Hermit thrush
6. Wood thrush
7. Brown thrasher
8. Louisiana waterthrush
9. Vesper sparrow
10. Chipping sparrow
11. House sparrow
12. Field sparrow
13. Ring-billed gull
14. Herring gull
15. Double-crested cormorant
16. Mallard
17. Spotted (eastern) towhee
18. White-breasted nuthatch
19. Downy woodpecker
20. Hairy woodpecker
21. Black and white warbler
22. Blue-grey gnatcatcher
23. Black-capped chickadee
24. American crow
25. Broad-winged hawk
26. Chimney swift
27. Nashville warbler
28. Brown-headed cowbird
29. White-throated sparrow
30. Northern cardinal
31. Mourning dove
32. Tree swallow
33. Barn swallow
34. American goldfinch
35. Ruby-crowned kinglet
36. Yellow-rumped warbler
37. Common grackle
38. European starling
39. Northern flicker
40. Red-bellied woodpecker
41. Red-winged blackbird
42. Blue jay
43. Song sparrow
44. Eastern phoebe
45. Palm warbler

The Birds of Lake Park

Milwaukee has a LOT to offer Birdwatchers:

One of Milwaukee’s best places to look for (watch) birds has got to be in Lake Park on Milwaukee’s lake front. A Milwaukee County park, it features diverse land features, plants, trees, and terrain. The park itself has become a gathering place for people of all interests; joggers, bicyclists, Frisbee golf enthusiasts, soccer, rugby, mothers with small children who play together on the equipment and in the sandbox, hikers, dog walkers, and of course; birders. With regularly scheduled “Warbler Walks” in the spring and fall of each year, local bird-watcher Paul Hunter and his peers know the lay of the land by heart and have each path, walk and geographic separation named and surveyed to accompany their archived detailed species counts. (Visit Paul’s Page for more information.)

I have personally been to the park at least 8 times and have come away with new birds for my lifelist almost each time. I have been there on the cold windy days, the cool rainy days, the sunny glorious ones too and am always glad I came. The trees are always filled with birds, and the feeders in the park are consistently, lovingly filled by the Friends of Lake Park. I will say I am a bit chagrined by the “dog walkers” of the park who have decided that the wonderful fenced-in tennis courts are a good place to allow fido to run leash-less and free upon. (I even took a video HERE if you wish to be similarly appalled.)

...But then again I digress...If you can look the other way and not pay any attention to the distraction of lawbreaking going on around you, (and I know you can) look to the trees for your reward. There are many trails to explore and discover. The upper pathways offer the best views of the varied species available. The lower ones, while bucolic, are a bit too densely packed with vegetation to afford a good view of the animal life. Red-headed and Red-bellied Woodpeckers were the stars of the day this sunny warm August 31st morning. Their chittering and squawking could be heard all over the ravine as the different family units gathered. The cool breeze from Lake Michigan wafted through the openings in the trees bringing a fresh odor of all things watery. Harley Davidson's 105th anniversary party was winding down it's Labor Day weekend celebration but the "potato-potato-potato" sound of the bikes could still be heard rising above the bluff. Birds seen this day were; the aforementioned woodpeckers, Chickadees, Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, White-breasted Nuthatches, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Canada Geese, House Sparrows, American Goldfinches, and Yellow-shafted Northern Flickers. The hour spent walking along the pathways was serene and relaxing and will soon be repeated. I suggest you wend your way there for a visit as soon as you are able. The warblers are coming soon and are not to be missed!